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KASDI MERBAH UNIVERSITY-OUARGLA
Faculty of Letters and Languages
Department of Foreign Languages
English Section
Dissertation:
ACADEMIC MASTER
Domain: Letters and Foreign Languages
Field: English Literature and Civilization
Specialty: Anglo-Saxon Literature
Submitted by: Miss. Fatna KENDIR
Title
Publically defended
On: 02/07/2013
Before the jury:
Mr. Ahmed Noureddine BELARBI President (UKM Ouargla)
Mr. Djelloul BOURAHLA Supervisor (UKM Ouargla)
Ms. Fouzia BAHRI Examiner (UKM Ouargla)
Academic Year: 2012/2013
The Study of the Major Principles of Naturalism
through The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
I
Dedication
This work is dedicated to my dear parents for their patience, help,
understanding and support during all the years of my studies
To my brother and my sisters
Also, I dedicate this
work to my best friends
To all my family in Adrar especially my grandmother.
It is dedicated to all whom I love without exception.
II
Acknowledgements
First of all, my thanks go to Allah who gave me the power to
complete this work.
A special thanks with deepest respect to my supervisor Mr.
Djelloul BOURAHLA for his guidance, help, encouragement
and academic support.
Also, I would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation to
the members of jury for their reading and evaluating my work
and to all my teachers who helped me throughout the course of
my study at Kasdi Merbah University without exception.
Moreover, I wish to express my great thanks to the staff of the
English Department and library.
Finally, I am very thankful to all who helped me in conducting
my work.
III
Abstract
This dissertation studies American literary Naturalism. We seek to show the ways in which
Stephen Crane‘s short story The Open Boat is representative of the most salient features of
American Naturalism. In fact we seek to show not only the content but also the form are
examples of naturalist features. The present work is divided into four chapters. In the first
chapter we review the characteristics of Naturalism, through styles and themes of naturalist
writers. The second chapter is an over view of American society, its industries, immigration,
science, the emergence of the city and Crane’s life and works. The third chapter examines
Crane’s language, style, the use of literary devices in the story and the fourth chapter aims at
highlighting the most important Naturalistic features present in The Open Boat through its
themes and content.
Key words: Naturalism, Stephen crane, The Open Boat, Thematic Theory, American
literature.
IV
Table of Contents
Dedication I
Acknowledgement II
Abstract III
Table of Contents IV
General introduction 2
Chapter One
American Literary Naturalism in the Nineteenth Century
Introduction 5
1.Naturalism 5
2.Historical Contexts 5
2.1.The Influence of Darwinism 6
2.2.The Influence of French Literary naturalism 7
3.The Characteristics of American Literary Naturalism 9
4.Themes and Styles of Naturalists 11
Conclusion 14
Chapter two
American Society in the Nineteenth Century
Introduction 16
1.American Society in the Nineteenth Century 16
1.1.American Industrial Society 16
1.2.Immigration 18
1.3The Emergence of the City 18
2.American Society and Science 19
3.Stephen Crane’s Life and Works 20
Conclusion 22
V
Chapter three
The Study of Form: Crane’s Styled, Language and the Use of Literary Devices
Introduction 24
1. Crane’s Style in the story 24
1.1.Crane’s Language 25
2. The use of Literary Devices 26
2.1.Symbolism 27
2.2. Personification 28
2.3. Metaphor 30
Conclusion 31
Chapter Four
The Study of Content: Naturalistic Features shown in The Open Boat
Introduction 33
1. The Open Boat’s Naturalistic Features 33
1.1. Naturalism in The Open Boat’s Themes 34
1.1.1. Tndifference of Nature 34
1.1.2. Suvival and Brotherhood 35
1.1.3.Fate and Determinism 36
1.1.4. Pessimism 36
1.1.5. Hopelessness 37
2. Crane’s Descriptive Writing on Naturalism in the Open Boat 38
3. Struggle 39
Conclusion 40
General Conclusion 42
Bibliography 44
General Introduction
2
General Introduction
American literature throughout its history had witnessed various and different period and
movements. Each one of those trends has its own principles, directions, ideology and writers.
One of these movements is Naturalism. Naturalism is a literary movement of a pessimistic
tone which came in the late nineteenth century, its way of studying human life is completely
different from other trends (High, 1986).
This dissertation sheds light on this important literary movement in the history of
American literature. It appeared as new direction in the last part of the nineteenth century and
received huge following from many writers, because they were convinced that it expresses the
concerns of their age. Among naturalists we find Frank Norris (1870-1902), Hamlin Garland
(1860-1940) and Stephen Crane (1871-1900).
This study aims at studying the principles of American Literary Naturalism through an
examination of Crane’s story The Open Boat (1898). I intend to point out the most important
naturalistic aspects present in this story and introduce how those aspects are the main part to
understand Literary Naturalism. First, giving the influences, the characteristics of Naturalism
and themes, styles of naturalist writers. Second, reviewing American society in the nineteenth
century, its industries, immigrants, science and Stephen Crane’s Life and works. Third,
examine Crane’s language, style and the use of literary devices in the story. Fourth,
highlighting the most important naturalistic features shown in The Open Boat through its
themes and content.
Our study is mainly based on our interest in how Naturalism tracks the effects of
environment on people who were helpless to change their situation. Crane provides an
excellent example of how environment affects people‘s lives, opinions and destinies as he
stated in The Open boat, in which Crane showed us how even life and death are determined by
fate.
3
We have chosen Stephen Crane and his short story The Open Boat because we believe
that our thematic approach to the form and content of the short story will show the ways in
which the naturalist mode of writing is employed in the text.
To achieve our objectives, we investigate Naturalism in The Open Boat to find answers to the
following questions.
1. How does Naturalism manifest itself in the form and content?
2. Are the naturalist features present in the text representation of American Naturalism in
general?
To begin our study it is hypothesized that:
1. Naturalism in America has emerged as an expression of the late nineteenth American
literature.
2. The Open Boat is a clear representation of the late nineteenth century American Naturalism.
We have divided our work into four chapters. In the first chapter, we will study the influences,
characteristics of Naturalism through styles and themes of naturalist writers. The second
chapter deals with a look at American society, its industries, immigration, science, the
emergence of the city and Crane’s life and works. The third chapter examines Crane’s
language, Style, the use of literary Device in the story and the fourth chapter aims at highlight
the most important naturalistic features shown in The Open Boat through its themes and
content.
Chapter One
American Literary Naturalism in the Nineteenth Century
5
Introduction
One remarkable intellectual trend, which emerged in America in the nineteenth century
and which subsequently became a literary movement is Naturalism. American literary
Naturalism developed out of literary Realism. Literary Naturalism shares some of Realism’s
characteristics because it has a concern with society and history. The goal of the present
chapter is to supply a comprehensive account of literary Naturalism in America by giving its
influences, characteristics, themes and styles of naturalists.
1.1 Naturalism
Naturalism is a word derived from nature; it is the suggestion that art and literature
should present the world and people just as science shows they really are (High, 1986).
Naturalism is almost not easy to define and sometimes used as synonym of Realism. It is more
pessimistic trend and it originated in France around 1870 with the first novels of Emile Zola
(Cunliffe, 1986). Naturalism was a literary movement of the late nineteenth century; it is an
extension of Realism and developed out of it (The art of depicting nature as it is), it came as a
reaction against the restriction inherent in the realistic focus of the ordinary, as naturalists
insisted that extraordinary is real too.
Naturalists were writing about criminals, slums, labourers, strikers and prostitute; they
attacked capitalism, but also explained society in Darwinist terms heredity and environment
determine man in world where only the fittest survive (Grellet, 2009).
1.1.1 Historical Contexts
Naturalism, as a literary movement has been widely influenced by contemporary,
social and intellectual context (Lehan, 2005). Two important factors that helped shaping the
6
ideas and techniques of Naturalism in American literature are: first, the influence of
Darwinism and second, the influence of French literary Naturalism.
1.1.2 The Influence of Darwinism
In literature, Naturalism developed out of Realism. The significant influence that
went to shape various points of view were Darwin’s biological theories, Comte’s application
of scientific ideas to study society, and Taint’s application of deterministic theories, they all
concentrate on portraying social environment (Cuddon, 1977).
During the few decades that followed the Civil War, American society had
witnessed significant changes, reconsidering traditional doctrines and beliefs and demanding
new ways of living and thinking (Ahnebrik, 1961). One considerable factor which helped
creating such shift was the impact of scientific development at that time; a new philosophy of
life appeared based upon science (ibid). This scientific development gave different explanation
of the world and life in the light of a diversity of ideas and theories.
Charles Darwin (1809-1982) had a big influence on American literary culture in the
late nineteenth century. He presented a theory about revolution and critical publications which
are “On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection” (1859) in which his ideas were
based on that all behavior production are a matter of biological determine forces, that there is
nothing transcendent in human life and “The Descendent of Man” (1871). Darwinism ideas
were manipulated in American author’s appreciation, representation of civilization, human,
nature, marriage, gender, race, the role of environment and heredity (Lamb& Thompson,
2005). Spencer the leading figure of what is known as social determinism coined the
expression of “the survival of the fittest” which represents a social concept that parallels, to
some extent, Darwin’s biological concept of selection. Social Determinism advocated a new
7
kind of determinism of natural ability in which any intervention on behalf of the poor or weak
would weaken the race (ibid).
The greatest revolution started in 1859 with the publication of Charles Darwin “On
The Origin of Species. Sigmund Frued stated:”Darwin had dealt a great “biological blow to
human narcissism”; compelling humankind to contemplate its place within the community of
common descent” (Lamb& Thompson, 2005:377).
Darwin believed that all behavior productions are a matter of biological forces, that
there is nothing transcendent in human life. The writing of Darwin and other evolutionists
have widely been read by the new generation like Stephen Crane, Hamlin Garland, Frank
Norris. So, Darwinian ideas had a significant impact on those writers. This era was
characterized by the emergence of American Naturalists who were inspired by an advance of
French Naturalism led by Emile Zola.
1.1.3 The Influence of French Literary Naturalism
The main thing that led to the foundation of American literary Naturalism as a
narrative mode is the influence of French Naturalism. Zola was a French novelist, under him
many realists became naturalists (High, 1986). He was widely affected by Darwin’s writing
about heredity and environment and he attempted to change these ideas into literary form, as
Pizer stated:
Zola believed that the literary imagination could make use of the ideas
in books so long as the novelist functioned like a scientist observing
nature and social data, rejecting supernatural and trashistorical
explanation of the physical world, rejecting absolute standards of
morality and free will, and depicting nature and human experience as
a deterministic and mechanistic process. All reality could be explained
by a biological understanding of matter, subject to natural laws,
available in scientific term (Pizer, 1995:47).
8
Zola is regarded as the founding father of French literary Naturalism; he gave detailed
descriptions of the era in his novels (Ahnebrink, 1961). Zola’s novels stressed the importance
of heredity and environment in determining character. Also, he emphasized on people acting
in groups, where humanity becomes of important matter. American writers were influenced by
Emile Zola who was a good fruit of Balzac and Flaubert in France. In preface to Thèrès
Raquin (1868), Zola describes himself as naturalist. His technique was scientifically clinical
that pathologist and physiologist. In his perspective men’s lives and actions were determined
by environment and heredity. After Thérés Raquin he designed a cycle of twenty volumes
(Rougon. Macquart, 1871-1893), which give the natural and social history of family. Out of
these twenty novels the best known are L’assommoire (1877) and Germinal (Cuddon, 1998).
In La Débacle (1892), Zola spoke about the soldiers in Franco Prussion war and in La Curée
(1872), he exposed the immorality of a wife who betrayed her spouse by having an incestuous
affair with her stepson.
Zola influenced many writers in America, hence many realists became naturalists.
Stephen Crane was the first naturalist in America; he wrote novels and short stories on the
light of Naturalism such as Maggie: A girl of the streets (1893), The Red Badge of Courage
(1845), The Open Boat (1898) and The Experiment in Misery (1894). Through those works
Crane showed that the individuals are controlled by their environment; life and death are
determined by fate and social injustice (High, 1986).
Hamlin Garland (1860-1940) was also American Naturalist. In Main Travelled Roads (1891)
he protests against the conditions which made the lives of mid-western farmers so painful and
unhappy. Garland was discussing the failure of American dream; he felt the Capitalists had
destroyed the individual’s freedom. Another American naturalist writer is Frank Norris (1870-
1902). His novels are clearly influenced by Emile Zola; his characters are often unable to
9
control their own lives. His most important works are Mc Teague (1899), The Octopus (1901)
and pit (1903) (High, 1986).
Eventually, all Zola’s novels became known and influential and their renderings of fate
, heredity and environment were adapted and developed within American context at the turn of
the nineteenth century, by the works of Frank Norris, Stephen Crane and Hamlin Garland
(Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
1.2 The Characteristics of American Literary Naturalism
In 1890, many realists became naturalists turned to be naturalists” Naturalism” this
term refers to the idea that art and literature should depict the world and people just as science
shows they really are (High, 1986). American literary Naturalism developed out of literary
Realism and shares some of its characteristics (ibid).they are considered as overlapping
discourses , developing side by side throughout the naturalist’s decades, their works draw on
common stock of literary devices, although they do so in different proportions and to different
trimmings. Novelists of both of them seek to construct a unified social world to contain the
threats of social changes.
Naturalism is characterized by its psychological foundation drawing upon sciences and
especially upon Darwinism for its view of humanity. It came after Realism in the late
nineteenth century (Skipp, 1992). So, for American Literature, Naturalism started to make a
sense in the late of the nineteenth century after it was originated in France around 1870, with
first novels of Emile Zola. It is more pessimistic trend (it is darker in tone) through which
naturalists attacked the dehumanizing aspects of Capitalism (Grellet, 2009). The new
generation of 1890 like Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser and Jack London and
the second naturalist figure Hamlin Garland broke free from howllisian manners novel which
concentrated on the more smiling aspect of life (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
10
Donald Pizer gave definition for Naturalism; he claimed that Naturalism is social
Realism laced with the idea of determinism”. He also claimed that:” since Naturalism comes
after Realism, it is an extension or continuation of Realism (Pizer, 1984:11). The only
difference for him is the philosophical orientation of naturalists.
Naturalists portrayed their characters with little control over their lives whose fates
were determined by heredity, environment and chance. Naturalists of 1890 wrote about the
immigrants who lived in slums, criminals, labourers, strikers and prostitute (Cunliffe, 1986).
Since Naturalism came as an expansion of Realism, so it is a reaction against
Romanticism. Naturalism deflates the claims of nature Romanticism, thus acting as the fiction
of the closing frontier (Lamb& Thompson, 2005). Romanticism was an inadequate manner to
describe the day happenings, which led to create false views about life, naturalists rejected the
sentimentality of Romanticism, most of romantic novels were written for young female
readers. On the light of this, Howells stated that: “the romantic novels make one forget life and
its duties” (High, 1986:86).
Transcendentalism was also rejected by naturalists because it tries to depict human
lives through feeling and intuition. The transcendental club’s magazine the Dial was criticized
for its vague or silly ideas (ibid).
In showing the difference between Realism, Naturalism and Romanticism, Ferrell
notes:
When the character seemingly controls the environment or the
environment is shaped in such away to conform to the needs of
characters, it becomes Romantic. When the environment appears to
control the character, it is naturalistic. Realism appears in between;
allowing some control over and some influence by the environment
(Ferrell, 2000:48).
11
The Works of literary Naturalism exposed the dark harshness of life, including
poverty, racism, prejudice disease, corruption prostitution and faith. So, naturalists were
criticized for more concentrating on human vise and misery, their novels and stories had a
strong sense that nature is indifferent to human struggle. In those novels we see always
struggle between man and nature or man and himself. Naturalism was affected by Marxism
and evolutionary theory.
The works of Naturalism were also concentrated on the filth society and the travailed
of lower class, this became the main point of its writing , another important characteristic is
the amazing twist that comes at the end of the plot , there is a strong sense in naturalism’s
stories and novels that nature is not affected by human struggle. Naturalist writing is almost
always tells a tale where the individual at the mercy of large force. So, the key themes of
American literary Naturalism were survival, determinism, violence, taboo1.
Naturalism has a style that is often described as grim and depressing, its stories are
often filled with characters that are poor uneducated and lower class who were seemingly has
no free will or choice in their circumstances. So Naturalism is pessimistic view of Realism;
this is its own style of writing2
1.3 Themes and Styles of Naturalists
Naturalist writers positioned themselves further from the center of literary field.
Hamlin Garland (1860- 1940) was an American naturalist writer, his writing was a form of
social protest. In his book Main Travelled (1891), he protests against the conditions which
made the lives of Mid-western farmers so painful and unhappy. He describes places, people
and events in a carful and factual manner, he describes poor, sad and farming town as the
1 http://www.wsv.edu/camplled/amlit/nature/html.
2 Ibid.
12
following:”Unpaved streets, drab colored, miserable rotting wooden buildings” (High,
1986:90).
His style was impressionistic1, he mixes emotions, colors and sights. Norris (1870-
1902), a California writer, he described the urbanization and incorporation of the west Coast
(Lamb& Thompson, 2005). In Mc Teague (1899) he describes a California landscape in which
a tremendous, immeasurable life pushed steadily heavenward without sound, without a
motion, in the next paragraph; he describes the mechanical power which opposes it. It is a
mining machine, which like monster: gnashing2 the rocks to powder with its long iron teeth,
voting them out again in the thin stream of gray wet. In his The Octopus (1901), he shows us
the battle between California what farmers and the southern Pacific Roads. As in Mc Teague,
we see the conflict between the power of nature (farmers) and the mechanical monster (the
railroad). In The Octopus and then in Pit (1903), Norris uses wheat as the symbol of life, he
makes it an almost religious symbol. So, Norris’s works demonstrate well the theme of
economic determinism (High, 1986).
Another American naturalist who expressed his themes through his works is Stephen
Crane. He was famous by his novel «Maggie: A girl of the streets” in which he dealt with the
theme of prostitution. The Irish families became in a world of Alcoholism and brutality.
Maggie is a story about a pretty girl brought up in poor area of New York City. She seduced
and rejected by neighborhood beau, she falls into prostitution (Lamb& Thompson, 2005). She
was every day facing the violence and cruelty of society. Finally, she goes to the river; then
she jumps in. Her death lives her relatives walling in self-pity (ibid). Also, Crane wrote “The
Red Badge of Courage” (1895), in which he shows us how accidents of life make a young
man seem to be a hero. This story set in the Civil War. It is story about Henry Fleming who
1 Impressionistic : trying to give an impression without describing in detail
2 Gnash : put the teeth together fiercely
13
runs like animal to save his life and it is story portrayed by Crane not for the history of Civil
War but for the portrayal of psychological fear (Rozakis, 1999).
The Open Boat is regarded is a short story written by Crane in 1898, the story concerns
the conflict between humanity and nature, it is ironic narrative combines attention to the
natural elements sharks, gulls, clouds and waves to stylized language. It portrays the cruelty
and indifference of environment (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
Crane’s style in descriptions of places and events are both realistic and poetic, his style
is not like other naturalists because he uses colors and word-sound to create a wonderful
impressions, he was genius with surprising, sympathy and imagination (High, 1986).
Also we find Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945), who was one of American greatest
writers. He and his characters did not attack the puritanical moral code; they simply ignored it.
When he wrote his novel Sister Carrie in 1900, he shocked the reading public. It is story about
Carrie Meeber who leaves the poverty of her country home and moves to Chicago. She is
honest for her hope for better life, Dreiser does not criticized her for this; but for her
relationships with men; she is fairly modern in the way she moves from one man to another.
Although, she success as an actress but at the end she learns that even money and success are
not the keys of true happiness (ibid). Sister Carrie’s real theme is purposeless of life; this
theme runs all over Dreiser’s novels. He sees the disorder and cruelty of life in general.
Naturalists of the 1980 wrote about the immigrants who lived in slums, they wrote
about the illicit sexual affairs of young girls who had moved from farms to cities, they wrote
about the individuals who neither understood themselves nor those around them (Applegate,
2002).
14
According to the style of naturalists; Naturalist authors use Symbolism to subtle a
wealth of meaning in a few words or images, they use images to give an effective impressions.
They were impressionistic in their writing (High, 1986).
Naturalists always use pessimistic tone in their stories and novels to describe the
depression of their characters which are in state of suffering. Their style was unromantic filled
with harsh words and meanings like violence, corruption, racism, poverty, etc (Lamb&
Thompson, 2005). .
Conclusion
The first chapter has introduced an important intellectual trend which emerged in
America in the late nineteenth century (1890) and which subsequently became a literary
movement is Naturalism.
We have talked about the influences that shaped Naturalism, Naturalism’s
characteristics, themes and style of naturalists.
Chapter Two
American Society in the Nineteenth Century
16
Introduction
American society in the nineteenth century moved from the state of stability to the state of
maturity. The life of American people changed in many different fields, it marked a big progress
during the four decades of the nineteenth century. This period characterizes by the emergence of
corporations, new inventions and transportation.
So, our second chapter reviews American society in the nineteenth century. It looks at the
industries of American society, the great immigration that America had faced, the emergence
of American city, American society and science and Stephen Crane life and works.
2.1 American society in the Nineteenth Century
The nineteenth century American society had known great periods of urbanization,
immigration from the Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia and rapid industrialization. So,
during these years American’s identity changed from the stability to maturity (Lamb&
Thompson, 2005).
2.1.1 American Industrial Society
From the era of reconstruction to the end of the 19th century the United States had
witnessed an economic transformation marked by the quick expansion of big business, the
development of agriculture, and the rise of industrial conflict. These developments led to the
coming of immigrants from southern and Eastern Europe, from Asia and Mexico1.
American society in the nineteenth century had witnessed a quick industrialization, in that
America’s great industries were marked by steel production, petroleum, the railroads ( the
essential means of transformation for business), electricity, textiles, meatpacking, the
automobile and the tool making . As industrialization made all sectors of American economic
1 WWW.directedessays.com/viewpaper./32249/html.
17
less labor-intensive, so the value of production per agricultural worker increased by 43
percent between 1870 and 1900, while the value of manufacturing and mining rose by 76
percent which meant that the nation could feed itself , and sell its produce throughout the
world. At the same time period, farm production, despite their increase, dropped from 53 to 33
percent of nation’s commodity output, while the manufacturing and mining rose from 53 to
58. The country big cities produce almost 40 percent of the manufactures which led to the
coming of rural population searching for jobs (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
The industrial expansion radically changed the face of nation’s cities; noise, traffic jams,
slums, air pollution and health problems became commonplace. The industries of American
country consolidated in very rapid state into large and large entities, monopolies and consortia
run by interlocking directorates. They were headed by powerful men. Between the mid of
1870 and 1914, America was characterized by strike every day, this conflict was strong and
intensive. The railroad strike was the first nationwide strike in the American history. This
involved not only the workers of railroads, but also farmers, craftsmen and unemployed who
brought the Nation’s railroad to standstill. Then, in 1886 there wear almost fifteen hundred
strikers, affecting half a million workers (ibid). But in 1890, there were strikers between two
thousand took place every year (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
The industrial revolution which came to America in the late nineteenth century made a
great change in American life. This period saw the appearance of corporations, new
inventions, transportation and communication.
18
2.1.2 Immigration
As we have seen above, the nineteenth century of American society was marked by
immigration; immigrants were arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia, this led to
unimaginable diversity of culture (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).
The urban population of the entire Nation enhanced from six million to twenty million, as
displaced rural population from both home and abroad settled in urban areas (ibid).
The history of natives between 1864 and 1890 was characterized by broken treaties, forced
relocation, new immigrants came to America between 1860 and 1900 they were coming from
non Anglophone cultures, unlike the midcentury immigrants, they were Italians, Jews, Poles,
Russians, Greeks, Chinese, Bohemians, Turks, Austro-Hungarians, Japanese and others. They
were endured poverty, disease, crime, lack of economic opportunity (ibid).
The thing that led to the coming of immigrants is the interaction between social and economic
conditions in Europe and those in America. America offered attractive possibilities to new
immigrants.
The greatest wave of immigrants that America had saw in its story is the coming of
European immigrants, they were estimated almost thirty million. So, America was the favored
goal of the nineteenth century European immigrants. Immigration was the major factor in
American life1
2.1.3 The Emergence of the City
As people from around the world started to immigrate to America in big numbers during
the nineteenth century; America begun to emerge and the city rose. The United States became
large and self-confident; it became also, multicultural city (Lamb& Thompson, 2005).The
industrial revolution of 19th transformed urban life and gave people superior expectations to
1 http:/www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/immigrants.
19
improving their standard of living. The increased number of jobs, along with technological
innovations in transportations and housing construction encouraged migration to Cities. The
development of streetcars, trolleys and railroads in the nineteenth century enabled City’s
expansion.
The railroads helped for transformation of trade and travel, it activated industries like
mining and production machine tools, and is indirectly rise immigration. The railroads were an
agent and paradigm, an emblem of newer, more powerful and expansionist America (Gray,
2004).
Also, for entertainment and information Americans tuned for lectures, magazines and
newspapers which they attacked literary personalities (ibid).
2.2 American Society and Science
During the nineteenth century American society faced significant changes in the way of
living and thinking. One considerable factor which led to changes is the progress of science;
new philosophy of life emerged based upon science.
The nineteenth American society is characterized by the rise of science, in that there was
an active discuss about how nature should be presented. One extreme of this debate was
naturalists who believe that poverty or literary art should kept divide from science (Bryson&
Thompson, 2008). In all works they intended to present nature accurately and usefully, the
observer, the perceiving self should be removed in order to maintain strike objectivity, which
means that the subjectivity reduces the understanding of the world. For Romanticism Thoreau
considered this theory of objective science an inhuman, he suggested that science should be
biography, he claimed that:
The sum of what the writer of whatever class has to report is simply
some human experience, whether he is poet or philosopher or man of
20
science. The man of the most science is the man most alive, whose life
is the greatest event (Bryson& Thompson, 2008).
The scientific ecology developed during the late nineteenth century had a big effect on
the lexicon and canonization of literature (Lamb& Thompson, 2005). Both intellectual
elevation and social oppression resulted from the interpretations and misinterpretation of Charl
Darwin’s works. By his publication of The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
(1858), there was an overwhelming confusion around the world among intellectuals and
religious men.
2.3 Stephen Crane Life and Works
Stephen Crane (1871-1900) is regarded by many critics to be the first American
naturalistic writer. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who focused on characters’ situations,
Crane focused on their thoughts and feelings. This is obvious in his novels: Maggie a girl of
the streets and The Red Badge of Courage.
Crane born in New Jersey and lived in New York State; he was the fourteenth and
youngest child of Reverend Jonathan Townley Crane and Mary Helen Peck Crane. His mother
was forty-five when Stephen was born, the children born before him had all died in infancy.
His father, a graduate of the College of New Jersey, was the presiding elder of Methodist
churches in the Newark district, and also an author committed to producing ten pages a day
(Lamb& Thompson, 2005). The family was a large, happy one. As Stephen grew up, however,
he found his parent’s religion irrelevant to the difficult life he saw, because most of his
writings were realistic, dealing with poor and sex (Bode, 1995).
Crane was a son of Methodist minister and the niece of a Methodist bishop, wrote essay
for Methodist journals and New York and Philadelphia papers, gave lectures, and was a
member of the women’s Christian Temperance Union (Lamb& Thompson).
21
Crane attended Pennington Seminary, a coeducational Methodist boarding school in New
Jersey where his father had served as principal in the 1850. Crane moved to New York City
where he wrote occasionally for New York Herald and Tribune, he was seventeen. He started
his career as writer.
In his journalism, fiction and poetry, he appears as the pioneer of Realism a rebel against
the romantic ideals and illusion which were famous in the fiction in his time (Grellet, 2009).
Crane is regarded as the first American naturalist; he was not much influenced by the
scientific approaches. According to Crane the environment is a tremendous thing in our world
and frequently shapes lives regardless, he show how man is affected by the anger and
indifference of society and also by heredity (ibid).
Crane’s style was mixture of Realism, Naturalism and impressionism (Bode, 1995). He
was characterized by the manipulation with colors and imagery in his works; he was genius
with surprising, sympathy and imagination. He was unlike other naturalist because he uses
colors and word-sound to create a wonderful expression. Crane was famous by his novel
Maggie: A girl of the streets (1893), it is sad story of girl grew up in poverty, she is betrayed
by her family and a friend at the end has to become a prostitute, she was facing violence every
day. Finally, she jumps in the river. Crane’s characters are controlled by their environment;
this is what makes him naturalist (High, 1986).
Soon after in 1895, Crane published The Red Badge of Courage: An Episod of American
Civil War. It is Crane’ greatest novel, the events of War made a young man seems to be hero.
It is realistically depicts the experience of Henry Fleming; a young infantry soldier in Union
army, as he struggles to alive in one of the worst battles of The Civil War. Although, Crane
had not any War experience, the novel was successful; it was serialized in newspapers and was
22
an immediate success. The demand for Crane’s short stories started to enhance, he sent by
newspapers to The West and the Mexico to collect information for stories (Bode, 1995).
Next, Stephen Crane published another short story which is The Open Boat (1898),
Crane shows how even life and death are determined by fate (High, 1986). It is story about
four men who were going to aid Cuban revolutionaries, Crane was one of them, He was
shipwrecked and spent 27 hour at sea in small boat with three other men , this story discusses
fear, courage and survival (Bode, 1995).
In 1899, Crane published a collection of poems named The War Is Kind; it discusses the
theme that he discusses at the heart of his novels:
A man said to the universe,
“sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation (High, 1986:98).
So, Crane’s naturalism is far from Howells more smiling aspect of life.
Conclusion
As we have seen in this chapter, the nineteenth century of American society was
characterized by a big development which led to the emergence of the city economically,
scientifically, literally and culturally.
Chapter Three
The Study of Form: Crane’s Style, Language and the use of
literary Devices in The Open Boat
24
Introduction
The Open Boat is a short story that has seven chapters, written by Stephen Crane in the
late nineteenth century (1898), (the era of Naturalism) when he was working as War
Correspondent. So, we find this story more appropriate to deal with such topic.
Our third chapter, sheds light on the study of The Open Boat, in our discussion we will
try to study Crane’ style, language and his use of literary devices to express his feelings and
emotions.
3.1 Crane’s Style in the Story
Stephen Crane is an important naturalist writer. In The Open Boat, the characters of the
men are portrayed very realistically by the author. The men’s attitudes and viewpoints are
appreciated for their situation. Crane uses two realistic aspects: In the story Crane is the
correspondent and The Open Boat is the real location of the story, which makes the story more
believable. This is clear when Crane said:
Many a man ought to have a bath-tub larger than the Boat
which here rode upon the sea (Crane, 2009:11).
This words show us how men hope to have a large boat, but the indifference of nature obliged
them to accept the accomplished fact and try to struggle for survive and for free themselves
from the harsh sea. Crane wrote about sinking boat therefore, placing his characters at the
mercy of nature (waves, open boat and sea), and here Crane shows us his Naturalistic practice.1
Crane in his story intended to use literary devices (figurative language) for more
understanding, he introduces the theme of struggle between men and the harsh sea, and among
those literary devices we find Personification, Symbolism and Metaphor. Crane description of
1http.//www.works.doklad.ru/view/NV-04Pqpuhc.html.
25
places and events are both realistic (High, 1968). The Open Boat has to become the poster
child of naturalism of Crane’s use of imagery to portray nature’s heartbreaking indifference.
He compared the boat to bath-tub and the waves are ‘slate walls’ and they have snarling crests
(Rozakis, 2009). Those similes symbolize men’s state during their journey. Crane’s use of
imagery gives vivid images to the reader’s mind. Crane said:
The craft pranced and reared, and plunged like an animal. As
each wave came, and she rose for it, she seemed like a horse
making at a fence outrageously high (Crane, 2009:13).
Crane shows us how men were at the mercy of craft which he named animal, animal
her symbolizes danger, violence. This pessimistic Symbolism shows Naturalism, since it deals
with violence, oppression, etc. Also, he made the craft looks like a horse.
3.1.1 Crane’s language
The Open Boat is regarded as a work of naturalism in which Crane uses distinctive
imageries, dialogue and monologue. Crane uses dialogue when the men were talking about
houses of refuge and crews.
As soon as who see us?”said the correspondent.
“The crew “said the Cook.
“Houses of refuge don’t have crews,” said the correspondent.
“As I understand them, they are only places where clothes and grub
are stored for the benefit of shipwrecked people. They don’t carry
crews.”
“Oh, yes, they do,” said the Cook.
“No, they don’t,” said the Correspondent (Crane, 2009:16-17).
Crane also uses monologue to express his pessimistic view, this is clear when he mentions
If I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned—if I am
going to be drowned, why in the of the seven mad gods, who rule the
sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and
trees?(Crane, 2009:57).
26
Here Crane intended to repeat “If I am going to be drowned” to express his profound
pessimistic tone toward the gods who rule the sea.
Crane’s words express a pessimistic tone toward their bad situation in the sea, because he
these words give us the meaning of hopelessness, violence like black shadow, darkness,
coldness and gloom. Crane stated that:
The shadows on the sea slowly deepened. The wind bore coldness with
it, and the men begun to shiver (Crane, 2009:46).
Coldness, shadows are words, which have the meaning of harshness, violence and
hopelessness.
Crane in his story relies on descriptive language many phrases, sentences and figures
of speeches describe the craft and how the situation of men changes from time to time till they
arrived to shore. Example
Then after scornfully bumping a crest, she would slide, and race, and
splash down a long incline and arrive bobbing and nodding in the
front of the next menace (Crane, 2009:14).
From these words we recognize that the Boat was in state of change, this led the four
men suffer. Crane’s use of descriptive language helps us to imagine the state of the boat.
Crane also use his descriptive language to describe the waves, he said that:
There was a terrible grace in the move of waves, and they came in
silence, save for the snarling of the crests (Crane, 2009).
3.2 The use of Literary Devices
The Open Boat has to become the poster child of Naturalism because of Crane’s use of
imagery to portray nature’s heartbreaking indifference (Rozakis, 1999). The imagery used in
The Open Boat brings a vivid image to the reader’s mind, this makes Naturalism clear.
27
Since the story concerns the conflict between humanity and nature. So it is possible to
use images to express how this conflict happened. In literature we call this phenomenon the
use of literary devices. The following are some of literary devices that Crane uses in his story.
3.2.1 Symbolism
The word symbol derived from the Greek verb symballein ‘throw together’ and its
noun is symbolon (sign). In literature we use symbols to represent real things, feelings, etc.
hence literary symbol links an image with concept (words themselves are kind of symbol). It
may be public or private, universal or local. It is the use of concrete image to express an
emotion or an abstract idea (Cuddon, 1998). On other words, a symbol is anything that stands
for or represents something else; Symbolism was 19th century literary movement whose
followers tried to express emotions by using a pattern of symbols (ibid).
The Open Boat’s story contains different symbols:
-The Open Boat
The Boat which the men must cling to survive the seas, symbolizes human life bobbing
along among the universe’s uncertainties. Crane made the boat seems like a bath tub (Rozakis,
1999), seems even smaller against the hugeness of the ocean. The boat is inconsequential and
always in danger of capsizing. It is characterized by Open, which means that the boat is
unprotected and thus open to suffering the unexpected turns of fortune that are unavoidable in
life. For the men being in The Open Boat becomes the reality of their lives and they know
from their experience on the boat that they had a little control over where they can go and
what they can do. Through the boat crane implies that the life is not something we can control.
Symbolism in Naturalism depicts danger, violence, from the name of open we recognize that
the four men will suffer in the sea.
28
Crane mentions in the first chapter:
The craft pranced and reared and plunged like animal, the manner of
her scramble is a mystic thing (Crane, 2009:13).
Crane wants us to know that the men were all controlled by the move of the boat; they
have no free will or choice. Since Naturalism deals with the idea that the external forces
control the individual, so the example that we have mentioned above emphasizes this idea.
Then after scornfully bumping a crest, she would slide, and race , and
splashdown a long incline and arrive bobbing and nodding in the front
of the next menace(Crane, 2009:14).
This example also emphasizes the same idea about Naturalism in that the men have no
free will.
-The Sea and waves
The sea and waves in The Open Boat symbolize the indifference of nature toward men.
They are heartless as teenage acne and they showed us how the survival on them is a matter of
chance. Crane compared the waves to “slate walls” and “snarling crests (Rozakis, 1999).
These are quotations which show us the violence of the sea and the waves toward the four men
before they reached the shore:
These waves were all of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were
of the foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea. The
horizon narrowed and widened and dipped and rose, and at all times
its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in point like
rocks (Crane, 2009:11).
Asingular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully
surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just
as important and just as nervously to do something effective in the way
of swamping boats (Crane, 2009:14).
In these examples, Crane makes clear that the sea with its waves is the location where the hope
for survival is reduced and sometimes it is impossible.
29
-The Oiler’s death
For Naturalism the individual can also controlled by his fate. In the story the Oiler’s
death symbolizes the indifference of fate and how nature is arbitrary in how it chooses its
victims, Oiler is the only one who named in the story (Billie……Billie, will you spell me) as
though having marks for death, he is the only one who perishes at the end of the story
(Rozakis, 1999).
The correspondent, schooled in the minor formulae: “thanks, old
man.”But suddenly the man cried: “what’s that” He pointed a swift
figure. The correspondent: “Go”. In shallows, face downward, lay the
Oiler. His Forehead touched sand that was periodically, between each
wave, clear of the sea (Crane, 2009:70).
This quotation supply how the Oiler found died after a long suffering in the sea to
reach the shore; he was not the master of his fate.
-The black shadow
The black shadow represents the gloom and hopelessness the sea offers to the men’s
situation. The overall picture of the black shadow is constantly presents to remind the reader
how hopeless their situation is.
3. 2.2 Personification
Personification is the attribution of human qualities to inanimate objects. It is inherent
in many languages through the use of gender (Cuddon, 1998). The story is full of
personification especially when the author describes the move of the Boat on the sea under the
threat of waves.
Personification is one of the characteristics of Naturalism. Crane uses personification
in his story by humanizing nature. This is clear in his description of the horizon when he said:
30
The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all
times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points
like rocks (Crane, 2009:11).
Crane makes the horizon looks like a human when he said widened, dipped and rose.
This view of the horizon can be seen as the threat to the four men and it has become their
enemy. Another example about Naturalism is when Crane describes waves as snarling. Here
Crane gives animalistic persona to waves. The characters felt as if the waves were going to
attack and devour them.
3.2.3 Metaphor
Metaphor is a way of expressing one idea by naming another thing which it can be
compared not using “as” or “like” (High, 1986).
Naturalism does not deny metaphors. In fact The Open Boat contains this literary
device. This is clear when Crane said:
The January water was icy, and he reflected immediately that it was
colder than he had expected to find it off the coast of Florida (Crane,
2009:70).
Here Crane compared January water to icy which represents the surprising of men.
After they decided to complete their way swimming they found water very cold. This made
them hopeless again to save their life. So metaphor in this sense gives us a pessimistic view,
according to this, Metaphor is more linked to naturalism.
Another example in the story, when Crane said at the end of the story: “They could then be
interpreters” (Crane, 2009:77).
Crane saw the men as interpreters, interpreters of life and death. This means that they
really experienced them in the sea.
31
Conclusion
The third chapter has examined Naturalism in the form of The Open Boat’s story,
through its literary devices Symbolism, Metaphor and Personification. Also, it has examined
Crane’s style and language to show his Naturalistic thinking.
Chapter Four
The Study of Content: Naturalistic Features in
The Open Boat
33
Introduction
After we have introduced the characteristics, themes and styles of American literary
naturalism which came in the late of the nineteenth century, we come at the point where we
study the most representative features of Naturalism in the content of the short story
4.1. An over view of The Open Boat’s Short Story
The Open Boat is a story about four shipwrecked men who were the injured Captain,
the oiler Billie the only one who named in the story, the Cook and the correspondent who is
Crane himself, they float the crest of waves in the sea in their small boat(Crumbley, 2010).
The four men were take turns of rowing and bailing water when the waves crash into
their small boat, they soon see land and even possible rescuers on shore, but the waves were so
huge and big in their attempt to reach the shore, and the go back out. After two nights of
suffering on the lifeboat they try to attempt to arrive the shore; their boat is swamped and the
swim to the beach. Finally, unexpected thing happened is that Billie the most strong of the
four drown in the attempt (ibid).
This story of sea is widely claimed as an example of literary naturalism because it
discusses naturalistic themes and symbols; also, it emphasized the role of environment upon
human characters, where nature is portrayed as uncaring.
4.2 Naturalism in The Open Boat’s Themes
Since Crane is Naturalist, his works focus on the themes of naturalism. After my
reading and thematic analysis of The Open Boat I have found that it discusses naturalistic
themes like indifference of nature, survival and brotherhood, fate, hopelessness, and
pessimism.
34
4.2.1 The Indifference of Nature
In this story naturalism is clearest in the indifference of nature to the plight of the four
men, they have no control over their destinies and nature elements control everything; this is
clear in the first lines of the story,
NONE of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes were glanced
level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them
(Crane, 2009:11).
These lines are simply expressing the idea that the four men could not see the sky
because of great waves and sea spray crashing over them.
In addition, we can notice the indifference of nature when carefree birds came and
begun to fly near and there, in this situation any gesture from the men will be danger on their
life. Crane said that:
The Captain naturally wished to knock it away by with the end of the
heavy painter, but he did not dare to do it, because anything resembling
an empathic gesture would have capsized this freighted boat (Crane,
2009:21).
This quotation shows us how men were at the mercy of birds; those small birds
controlled their life.
When the men arrived at point of waves became more anger and harsh, the men were
in bad situation and begun to question silently why they were allowed to last this long if nature
intended to drown them all along (Crumbley, 2010).
If I am to be drowned—if I am to be drowned—if I am to be
drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea,
was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate the sand and the
trees?(Crane, 2009:57).
This quotation shows us how the seven gods of sea are injustice because the men
worked hard in body and mind to reach the shore. The men begun to change their addresses in
35
the case that anyone survives to tell their families. “They then briefly exchanged some
addresses and ambitions.” This is the indifference of nature.
In addition, we notice the indifference of nature when the four men worked hard but
when they were about to arrive, their boat was drown, so they obliged to complete their way
swimming in unexpected coldness of January water. Crane sea this water as icy. “As the
Captain advice three other men “if no help is coming, we might better try a run through the
surf right away” (Crane, 2009:65).
Eventually, since the works of naturalism focus on the filth society and travailed of the
lower class and naturalist writing is almost tells a tale where the individuals at the mercy of
large force, so the indifference of nature is regarded as main particularity of naturalism.
4.2.2 Survival and Brotherhood
Another theme in this story is brotherhood for survive which represents the claim of
Naturalism; the four men were fighting against great force of nature which is the sea.
It would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood that
was here established in the seas. No one said that it was so
(Crane, 2009:26).
Fellowship helped them to pass the obstacles of the sea, this brotherhood started from
the early beginning of the story when one bailing waters from the boat another pull with one
oar, etc.
The characters throughout all the story acting as best friends aiming for the same point
which is survival. The latter was discussed in many naturalistic works in which the characters
fighting against great force that control their lives, opinions and fate.
36
4.2.3 Fate and Determinism
Crane’s deterministic view of life, primarily influenced by Darwinism (Lamb
&Thompson, 2005).This is clearly shown in The Open Boat. In the story the life of the
men is controlled by their fate.
The characters were all fighting to survive but at the end cook, correspondent and
the captain survive but the only who died is Billie in the surf while trying to reach the
shore (Lauter, 2010). Oiler’s death was surprising twist:
The correspondent, schooled in the minor formulae, said:
“Thanks, old man.”But suddenly the man cried: “What’s that? He
pointed a swift figure. The correspondent said: “Go”. In shallows,
face downward, lay the Oiler. His forehead touched sand that was
periodically, between each wave, clear of the sea (Crane,
2009:70).
These lines show us how oiler’s life is controlled by his fate after a two nights and days of
struggle in harsh sea. Although he is the strongest of the four men, he is the only one who
died; he was not the master of his fate. As though having the identity marks the person for
death (Rozakis, 1999).
Crane shows us how fate controls human life.
Finally, the critic Patrik Dooley points out that:
Through their confrontation of indifferent universe. The survivors
appreciate both the limits and the possibilities of human effort
and human community (Crumbley, 2010:94).
4.2.4 Pessimism
Pessimistic tone in the story represents Naturalism. The four men have a pessimistic
tone through the story to express their plight, this is clear in the repetition of “If I am going to
be drown, If I am going to be drowning , If I am going to be drown” , “If we never get a
shore, If we do not get ashore”.
37
Naturalism is often described as grim and depressing, filled with poor uneducated
characters that have no free will of choice in their circumstances. It depends on pessimistic
tone. The tone of Crane’s characters is pessimistic; this is clear when he said:
If we do not all get shore….”said the Captain. If we do not all get
ashore, I suppose you follows know where to send news of my finish?
(Crane, 2009:35).
Here the captain expresses his sadness by repeating ‘if we do not all get a shore’ this
repetition makes the pessimistic tone very clear.
Another example is when crane said:
If I am to be drowned—if I am to be drowned—if I am to be drowned,
why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I
allowed to come thus far and contemplate the sand and the trees
(Crane, 2009:57).
From these lines, we recognize that Crane represents a pessimistic tone toward the seven gods
who rule the sea; it is clear in the repetition of ‘if I am going to be drown.”
4.2.5 Hopelessness
The theme of hopelessness runs through the entire story, which contributes to its cynical
and morbid view of life. From the beginning to the end of the story, characters never seem to
be free of peril. The four men are always struggling against something waves, shark. Crane
said that:
The wind came again. It had veered from the northeast to the
southeast. Finally, new sound struck the ears of the men in the
boat (Crane, 2009:31).
This quotation makes clear that the four men are always hopeless because they are not
agents of free will. Crane’s characters left to randomness of external forces that is fate (Oiler’s
death after hard work to save his life) and nature (ocean, waves and shark) .This theme
represents a pessimistic tone in the story.
Another example that Crane has mentioned, when he say that:
A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after
successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another
38
behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do
something effective in the way of swamping boats (Crane,
2009:14).
Here Crane mentions the main disadvantage of the sea in general to make clear that
Cook, Oiler, Correspondent and Captain from the beginning of the story to the end are at the
mercy of sea changes, which let the four men hopeless throughout the story.
4.3 Crane’s Descriptive writing on Naturalism in The Open Boat
Crane writes very descriptively to convey vivid mental images in reader’s mind about
people, places and things to give better understanding for the story; this is clear in the
following examples:
The cook squatted in the bottom and looked with both eyes at the six
inches of gunwale, which separated him from the ocean. His sleeves
were rolled over his fat forearms, and the two flaps of his unbuttoned
vest dangled as he bent to bail out the boat (Crane, 2009:11-12).
In this example, Crane describes the state of the Cook when he bent to bail out the boat
he gives us an image about his sleeves, vest, eyes, forearms and the boat. Therefore, through
this vivid image Crane helps us to understand the state of the Cook.
Crane also describes Oiler’s state, when he said:
The Oiler, steering with one of the two oars in the boat, sometimes
raised himself to keep clear of water that swirled in over the stern. It
was a thin little oar and it seems often ready to snap (Crane,
2009:12).
From this description we notice that Crane uses adjectives like thin, little to give us
an image about how the oar was, also he shows us how the Oiler was careful, in that he
sometimes raised himself to have a look to the water over the stern (Crane, 2009).
In addition to that, Crane’s description of things has vivid images, this clear when he
described the seat in the boat, he said:
A seat in this boat was not unlike a seat upon a bucking
broncho, and, by the same token, a broncho is not much smaller
(Crane, 2009:13).
39
Here Crane describes the boat by makes it looks like bucking broncho, but broncho is not
much smaller.
The Open Boat’s story gives Crane an advantage to be descriptive; it is descriptive story
has sense of Naturalism, because it discusses violence, oppression, survival and fate. Crane
uses descriptive language to show his naturalism. This what naturalist and impressionist
Walcut has asserted and said that” Crane’s writings on naturalism are very descriptive1
In addition, Crane uses descriptive language because this story concerns the conflict between
unyielding sea and four men. It helps him to give accurate events (Crumbely, 2010).
4.4 Struggle
In this story, the four men struggle with harsh sea to free themselves from its violence
and oppression. This violence and oppression started from the start of the story When Crane
said:
NONE of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and
were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them (Crane,
2009:11).
Here, the four men know nothing just waves, their eyes fixed only on the waves that
swept toward them; they forget even the color of sky and what is important for them is how
they can pass those violent waves, which were of foaming white. From this quotation, we
understand that the men want to free themselves from these harsh waves.
Another example of struggle is when The Cook bent to bail out the boat, the oiler
steering with one of the two oars in the boat, the Correspondent pulling with the other oar and
the Captain directs them(Crane, 2009).
In Addition to that, struggle is clear in the story when the bird came and looked at the
Captain’s head.
His black eyes were fixed wistfully upon the Captain’s head “ugly
brute” said the Oiler to the bird. The cook and the Correspondent
swore darkly at the creature (Crane, 2009:20-21).
1 WWW.customessaymeister.Com/customessays/literature/18031.html.
40
Here all Cook, Captain, Correspondent and Oiler hope to knock the bird away, they were
corporate to let the bird leave, the Oiler said “Ugly brute”, and Cook and Correspondent swore
darkly the bird. In addition, Crane wants us to recognize that the four men were one hand on
the sea to struggle for survive and for free themselves from the danger ocean when he said:
It would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood of men that was
here established on the seas. No one said it was so.
No one mentioned it. But it dwelt in the boat, and each man felt it
warm him (Crane, 2009:26).
Furthermore, after two nights and days of struggle, the four men saw land; they complete their
struggle by swimming, this is clear when the captain said that:
If no help is coming, we might better try a run through the surf right was
(Crane, 2009:65).
Although, the men were tired, they made another attempt to reach the shore which is
swimming.
Conclusion
As we have seen in this chapter, The Open Boat contains naturalistic features. We have
examined Naturalism through its themes: pessimism, fate, hopelessness, survival, etc.
General Conclusion
42
General Conclusion
American society in the nineteenth century had witnessed many changes and
progresses in different fields. This led the American society to move away from the state of
stability and approach the state of maturity. American’s life changed in various fields
especially in literature. This study studies an important literary movement in American history
which is Naturalism; it emerged in America in the second half of the nineteenth century after it
appeared in France by Emile Zola.
Mainly based on a thematic analysis in our methodology we have shown the most
important features of Naturalism in Crane’s short story The Open Boat. We have divided our
work into four chapters. In the first chapter we have examined the influences characteristics of
Naturalism, styles and themes of naturalist writers. In the second chapter we have dealt with a
look at American society, its industries, immigration, science, the emergence of the city and
crane’s life and works. The third chapter has examined Crane’s language, Style, the use of
literary device in the story and the fourth chapter has aimed to highlight the most important
naturalistic features shown in The Open Boat through its themes and content.
After our discussion and analysis we come to the realization that Naturalism has
manifested itself in the content of the story through The Open Boat’s themes and it has
manifested itself in the form of the story through Crane’s language, style and his use of
imageries. In addition, the naturalist features presented in the story are representation of
American Literary Naturalism in general. Also, Naturalism is an expression of the late
nineteenth century American Literature and The Open Boat is a clear representative work of
American literary Naturalism. We have shown that through the content by referring to plot and
themes; we have also shown that through the study of the form through analyzing Crane’s
language and through showing the ways in which naturalist techniques function in the text.
Bibliography
44
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Abstract
This dissertation studies American literary Naturalism. We seek to show the ways in which
Stephen Crane‘s short story The Open Boat is representative of the most salient features of
American Naturalism. In fact we seek to show not only the content but also the form are
examples of naturalist features. The present work is divided into four chapters. In the first
chapter we review the characteristics of Naturalism, through styles and themes of naturalist
writers. The second chapter is an over view of American society, its industries, immigration,
science, the emergence of the city and Crane’s life and works. The third chapter examines
Crane’s language, Style, the use of literary devices in the story and the fourth chapter aims at
highlighting the most important Naturalistic features present in The Open Boat through its
themes and content.
Key words: Naturalism, Stephen crane, The Open Boat, Thematic Theory, American
literature.
